Rajon Rondo’s Latest Triple Double Led the Boston Celtics to Victory

Rajon Rondo continues to put up silly, video game-like numbers. Last night, he led the way for the Boston Celtics, as they earned a hard-fought win in overtime against the visiting Atlanta Hawks. From the Boston Herald: “In a season when Rajon Rondo has lit up the NBA assist chart like a pinball machine, here’s a fresh line to consider. His 10-point, 20-assist, 10-rebound triple double in last night’s 88-86 overtime win over Atlanta is only the seventh in the NBA since 1986 with at least 10 points, 10 rebounds and 20 assists, according to CSNNE statistician and Bentley College sports information director Dick Lipe. The last five of those belong to Rondo. Last night also marked his 19th straight game with a double-digit assist performance. John Stockton set the NBA record with 29 straight games in 1992. This is rare ground for any point guard. ‘Listen, I know he’s on a run,’ said C’s coach Doc Rivers. ‘That’s phenomenal. I don’t even know what that means. I know he’s playing very well, but I don’t even need the numbers to tell me that. He’s been spectacular, not only in games but everywhere, and that’s why we’re winning. We need a locked in effort from him every night and he’s doing that. That was growth tonight because it was a fatigue game, and there’s games like that when Rondo comes in and struggles, and tonight he willed that game.’ Perhaps the most impressive part of Rondo’s performance, according to Rivers, was that the guard begged to stay in the game in the fourth quarter. He played 47 minutes, the most for any player last night, in the midst of the Celtics’ most grueling stretch of the season. ‘Just win,’ Rondo said. ‘I don’t want to be selfish, because if I’m out there tired then I’m not doing what’s good for the team. But I wanted to stay in.’ Said Rivers: ‘He didn’t beg long, but he stayed in. The fact he’s trying to score to me is the most impressive. Before he was just a facilitator, but the fact that he’s getting more assists is because he’s an aggressive scorer, and teams can no longer play off of him to pass.'”